Wine rating

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sensory wine evaluation

A wine evaluation is an assessment of a wine as a fact carried out by one or more experts in the wine market such as oenologists , wine critics or sommeliers . The grading takes place after a tasting , which can be done blindly or with knowledge of the tasted wine. The tasting is used for the examination, sensory analysis and description as well as the classification of wines. Ideally, the grading is based on standardized procedures. The wine critic uses a more or less precise appearing rating scale for the classification. Since the early 1980s, the 50-100 point scale used by Robert Parker has been gaining ground. The works by Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator that are common in English use the same scales. Other wine critics such as Jancis Robinson or Michael Broadbent use a rating scale from 0-20 or from 0-5. The latter scale in particular likes to use a form of representation in the form of stars, which can be supplemented with half notes (or half stars) if necessary. The Italian Gambero Rosso and the French Guide Hachette, both annuals, reduce their scheme to a scale of 0 - 3 (in the form of glasses or stars), whereby the mere mention of the respective wine is a sign that the wine is above average is. However, an overall assessment of the winery is not made. In addition to the evaluation, a verbal description in the form of a wine address should supplement the marking.

Since every taster has a different understanding of how a good wine should taste, the results of individual tasters are rarely comparable. The rating of Château Pavie from the 2003 vintage can be taken as an example (Parker: 96/100; Jancis Robinson: 12/20). Over time, however, a consumer can discover whether their own perception of a good wine coincides with that of a wine critic.

A sensory test classification is important to examine success in the market. In the production process, the in-house grading serves as a constant quality check. The development of new products is also accompanied by a comparative rating to well-known wines.

In recent years, the Internet has made it possible for forums and communities to be set up, which enable every user of the site to submit their own personal rating. While the system of the yearbook or the individual wine critic should guarantee comparability, this is no longer possible with forums and communities. On the other hand, a relevant number of tastings can also give a good overall picture of the wine quality and thus complement the overall wine rating in a meaningful way.

The comparison of some scale systems

The 5-point scheme

The assessment of the 5-point system is based on the three criteria of smell, taste and harmony, as is also the case when the official test number is assigned. The DLG also uses this system for the federal wine awards for wine and sparkling wine . The same applies to the state awards for wine and sparkling wine

  • 0: strongly flawed
  • 1: faulty
  • 2: satisfactory
  • 3: good
  • 4: very good
  • 5: excellent

The 20-point scheme

The 20-point scheme is widespread in Europe. The evaluation is based on the following criteria:

  • Color: Faulty, unsightly - 0 points / appealing - 1 point / particularly beautiful color - 2 points
  • Clarity u. Purity: cloudy, dusty, matt, dull - 0 points / clear, pure - 1 point / crystal clear, brilliant - 2 points.
  • Smell (fragrance, flower, bouquet): no odor recognizable, bad to spoiled - 0 points / weak, diffuse, restrained - 1 point / appealing, clean, pure - 2 points / very good corresponding, fragrant, fine - 3 points / characteristic , particularly fine and pronounced - 4 points.
  • Taste (body, extract, sweetness, acidity, tannin structure): spoiled, bad - 0 points / no wine taste, foreign - 1 point / empty, thin, little expression - 2 points / straightforward - 3 points / pure, expressive - 4–5 Points / substantial, aromatic, rich, full of character - 6 points / stylistic, outstanding, perfect - 7 points.
  • Overall impression (harmony, finesse, finish): poor, inharmonious - 0 points / short finish, not very harmonious - 1 point / good overall impression - 2–3 points / medium to long finish, balanced, typical, delicate - 4 points / long finish, very fine, very harmonious, great wine - 5 points.

The base value of the wine rating is 0 points and is therefore the lowest possible rating. The individual notes of color, clarity and purity, smell and taste are added up and published as an overall note. The details of the individual criteria are rarely made public. The same applies to the 20-point system known as COS. COS derives from the Latin words C olor (color, clarity), O dor (odor) and S from apor (taste). The criteria are defined as follows:

  • Color: Appearance, color, clarity with a maximum of 2 points,
  • Odor: odor with a maximum of 6 points,
  • Sapor: taste with a maximum of 8 points and
  • Overall impression: a maximum of 4 points

The COS system thus weights the criteria odor and taste more strongly than the 20-point system mentioned above.

All 20-point systems have the following statement in common: Wines with a grade of 10 points or less are considered faulty. The wines are unsatisfactory between 10 and 12 points. From 12 to 14 points, the wines are considered good, between 14 and 16 points as very good. Over 16 points are reserved for excellent wines and 18 points or more are considered top quality. The Swiss wine critic René Gabriel even gives exceptional top quality a grade of 21/20.

The 100 point scheme

Robert Parker uses the now internationally known 100-point scheme. The general understanding of this scale could also be due to the fact that many international school grading systems are based on a 100-point standard.

The base value of the wine evaluation according to the Parker points is 50 points and is therefore the lowest possible grade. A value of max. 5 points for the appearance of the wine, max. 15 points for the smell, max. Awarded 20 points for the taste and a further 10 points for the overall impression. Wines with a total score of 50 - 75 are considered weak, 75 - 79 as average, 80 - 84 as successful, 85 - 89 as very successful, 90 - 95 as remarkable and 96 - 100 as exceptional.

history

The wine trade often uses a good wine rating from a renowned wine critic when marketing it .

Wine rating by numbers is a relatively new phenomenon. In the past, wines were judged using tasting notes. The authors used a more or less complex wine language. Since the 1960s, the wine market has become more and more international and the interested wine drinker was able to deal with a large number of new wine-growing regions and unknown wineries. As a purchase aid for the consumer, the first evaluation schemes were created which made the consumer aware of interesting wines at a glance. The success of this system, which actually does not compare comparable products, quickly became apparent. The wine critic Robert Parker plays the role of having made this system popular.

This type of wine rating gave wine critics the opportunity to present dozen or even hundreds of wines in condensed form at a glance. The critics provided retailers with an easily understandable marketing tool.

In the meantime, a market for highly quoted wines has emerged. Bottles with a rating of 90 or more are very easy to sell. Wines with 95 or more points now enjoy cult status that are sought after worldwide. Due to the imbalance between the limited supply and the broad demand, the prices of such plants rose above average and are no longer affordable for a normal-earning wine drinker. An industry has formed around these cult wines that is speculating with the pleasure object wine. The Liv-ex Fine Wine Index , which shows the price development of the 100 most searched wines, has existed since 1999 .

criticism

The number-based wine criticism is repeatedly exposed to criticism. The evaluation of wines by awarding points provides a good orientation for a larger selection of wines, which is hardly possible with tasting notes. The points are awarded in comparison with the respective ideal type. The definition of each ideal type, however, depends on the particular wine tester. On the other hand, a 100 point scale gives the impression of an absolute quality statement.

In the case of tasting notes using wine language , the respective properties of a wine can be discussed. But since there is often no word for a certain flavor in the language, misinterpretations can occur. For amateurs often arise difficulties in understanding professional wine descriptions, such as those used in professional journalism or tastings. The type of symbolic concretization of the wine in particular causes irritation.

Competing rating systems from different wine critics

Recognized wine critics who use a scale-based system are:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate's Rating System ( memento of January 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) in English, last access on January 18, 2010
  2. ↑ Wine Spectator Wine Spectator Tasting Procedures and Taster Profiles in English, last access on January 18, 2010
  3. ↑ Wine tasting: Mars versus Venus ( Memento of 22 May 2006 at the Internet Archive ), Kirby Pringle, published on 30 June 2004
  4. ↑ Till Ehrlich: Comments on the crisis in wine criticism. On the way to a new credibility. In: Journal Culinaire. Culture and Science of Food. No. 6, Münster 2008, Edition Wurzer & Vilgis , ISBN 978-3-941121-06-5 , pp. 52-54.
  5. ↑ Martin Darting: Sensor technology. For practitioners and connoisseurs. Ulmer-Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-8001-5961-1 , p. 14f.
  6. ^ Émile Peynaud: The high school for wine connoisseurs. Albert Müller Verlag, Stuttgart a. a. 1984, ISBN 3-275-00843-9 , p. 163

literature